A 34-year-old Astoria resident died Saturday after falling about 45 feet at Youngs Rivers Falls, his family said.
"Keep a watch on our dad," were the last words Rich Nestor remembers hearing from his little brother, Joseph, moments before leaving to climb the falls. Those words have lingered in the elder brother's mind since Joseph fell to his death shortly after.
Rich Nestor was visiting from Detroit, and the three men had taken a trip to the recreation area late in the afternoon.
"(Joseph) was telling me how that place was his favorite and how he loved to go there all the time," Rich Nestor said. "He climbed up by the falls and looked down. He sat in a little cubbyhole, and as he was trying to leave, he slipped and fell down backwards."
Rich Nestor said he saw his brother hit a rock at the bottom before he disappeared in the water. The brother jumped in and swam about 50 feet to the falls, but he couldn't reach the body, he said.
About 20 minutes later, emergency crews arrived. They pulled Joseph's body from the water, Rich Nestor said. According to The Daily Astorian, crews responding to the scene included the Clatsop County Sheriff's Office, Oregon State Police and local fire crews.
"He was a fun-loving, outgoing person," Rich Nestor said. "He loved to enjoy life."
Joseph Nestor left behind his wife, Mandy, and two boys Phoenix, 9, and Max, 2.
"I lost my best friend today, and I am devastated and heartbroken ... My poor Phoenix is so upset, and little Max doesn't have a clue," his wife said on her Facebook page. "I'm just trying to hold it all together and be strong for them. God he is going to be missed."
Joseph Nestor was one of six brothers and three sisters. He loved to skateboard and was well-known in the Astoria community for that passion, said nephew Triston Hull.
Hull and Rich Nestor said Joseph had recently been promoted as a foreman at a construction company.
"He was a really short person," Hull said. "He's like 5-foot-3 but one of the biggest men this town has ever seen. Half of Clatsop County will show up to his funeral."
A funeral date has not been set, Hull said. The family has established a GoFundMe account to help pay for the funeral cost and to help Mandy Nestor and the boys transition to life without their dad, Hull said. As of late Sunday night, the family had raised $705 from 13 people.
Mandy Nestor, through Facebook, and Rich Nestor both said they were grateful for the support from the community.
"I'm glad people love my brother that much," the eldest sibling said.
-- Tony Hernandez
thernandez@oregonian.com
503-294-5928
@tonyhreports